Bell: Calgarians upset and Calgary’s bag bylaw could be tossed

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From the oldsters who introduced us the local weather emergency.

The most recent phrase from Calgary metropolis corridor. We name it breaking information.

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A gaggle of councillors are proper now engaged on a transfer to attempt to outright dump or, on the very least, drastically change the town’s new bag bylaw, often known as the single-use gadgets bylaw.

You realize, the 15-cent paper baggage quickly to be 25 cents.

You realize, the $1 reusable baggage quickly to be $2.

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“Everyone hates it, everyone needs it gone. They suppose it’s ridiculous. So do I,” says Dan McLean, a member of Calgary metropolis council.

Andre Chabot, who nonetheless carries these old-school plastic straws in his automotive with out apology, held a city corridor assembly Monday evening and other people had been actually steamed.

Chabot says the very fact companies are scooping up extra money from this newest journey in saving the world rubs people the improper manner.

The councillor smiles.

“Is that this a manner for them to get better a few of the losses they incurred from having to throw away all of the plastic baggage they’d in stock?”

And …

“Why are we doing this when it’s not even enforceable?”

Whereas procuring final weekend, your scribbler witnessed many episodes across the new bylaw.

At considered one of my favorite spots, the clerk, well-acquainted with residing in one other land the place you at all times regarded over your shoulder to see if the federal government was watching, gave me a plastic bag after which spoke quietly.

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“If Metropolis of Calgary bylaw is available in you inform them it’s your bag, inform them you introduced it from residence. I don’t desire a $250 high-quality.”

At a retailer, the reusable baggage for lower than a buck are gone.

“You realize, it’s the town. We packed them up and shipped them to a metropolis the place they’re nonetheless authorized,” a cashier tells me.

At one other retailer the less-than-a-buck reusable baggage aren’t gone. The worth has been hiked. Ka-ching!

“It’s the town,” says the cashier.

At a drive-thru there’s a man within the truck forward.

He’s handed his wrapped-up burger, his fries within the little paper thingy, another stuff I can’t make out and his drink with no lid and no horrible paper straw and no bag.

There’s a dialog. Oh, there’s the lid being handed over and the horrible paper straw and the utensils and the bag.

What this? He’s handing again what seems to be like a few cash.

At one other retailer, I purchase one thing dearer than a burger and fries and the clerk needs to offer me a present bag for the acquisition.

You realize, not a brown paper bag. It is a fancier paper bag with the shop title on it.

He’s undecided if he has to cost 15 cents. He gained’t do it.

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“Don’t inform anyone I did this,” he says, handing over the free bag and looking out the opposite manner.

All over the place I’m going, when discuss of the bylaw comes up retailer workers roll their eyes, shrug their shoulders.

Lastly, at one retailer I choose up a reusable bag.

What’s this? I’m charged the before-bylaw worth for the bag.

I can nearly hear metropolis corridor. The horror! The horror! A stake within the coronary heart of Mom Earth!

I say nothing.

A be aware to Metropolis of Calgary bylaw. If somebody complains and your Bylaw Bag Patrol questions me I cannot buckle underneath interrogation. I cannot cough up the title of the shop.

The one comfort. If metropolis bylaw truly follows up on this file like they do on every thing else, the shop has nothing to fret about.

Simply so you understand, up in Edmonton their bag bylaw, which seems to be rather a lot just like the one in Calgary, has been in place for a number of months.

An Edmonton metropolis corridor bigwig says their bylaw “is difficult our norms of comfort.”

You suppose.

Earlier this week an Edmonton story reported their metropolis corridor didn’t have exhausting numbers to indicate how the bag charge is reducing again on waste.

Why would they? They’re engaged on a “waste characterization examine” due again subsequent 12 months.

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A what?

Sonya Sharp is one other Calgary councillor not proud of this bylaw.

Sharp factors out how busy households with children in tow usually cease at drive-thrus and there’s all types of confusion and foolish questions simply to get what you ordered.

The bylaw handed final 12 months however got here into impact simply final week.

A 12 months in the past, the town put aside $200,000 to speak to Calgarians, hopefully in a much less condescending tone than they communicated to metropolis council a 12 months in the past.

“I don’t suppose anybody understands what occurred final week,” says Sharp, the councillor.

Most of all, not these calling the photographs at metropolis corridor.

rbell@postmedia.com

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